TALLADEGA, Ala. — So much for Michael Jordan being a jinx at the race track.
The NBA legend celebrated as if he was still on the basketball court Sunday evening when Tyler Reddick stole a NASCAR Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway, taking the checkered flag after front-runner Michael McDowell — swerving back and forth in a desperate bid to hold the lead — crashed with the finish line in sight.
It was another wild conclusion on the high-banked, 2.66-mile tri-oval, but it marked the first time that Jordan, co-owner of the 23XI Racing team along with Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, has been at the track to witness a victory for one of his drivers.
“Denny keeps saying I was bad luck when I come to the track, and today we proved him wrong,” a beaming Jordan said in victory lane. “I’m very happy to be here to see it. Everybody tells me when we win, we can have a good celebration, but this is the first time I’ve been here.”
McDowell, who started in pole position for Front Row Motorsports and was seeking the third victory of a Cup Series career that dates to 2008, dominated the closing laps and was in position to give Ford its much-needed first victory of the year. But his desperate efforts to block RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski, another Ford driver, wound up costing them both.